V I N Y L LONG,

“It changes so fast. There’s something new every day,” Jim said. “And that’s what makes this so much fun. There’s always new music and new artists coming out.”

Vinyl appreciation

Seasoned vinyl fanatics and newbies in the turntable community agree that there’s a deep intricacy behind the collectibility and value of vinyl records.

Experts say there’s a common misconception; the age of a record doesn’t make it more expensive. Instead, Jim and Melissa say they set the prices of a vinyl record based on its scarcity and rarity.

“Age doesn’t make value. It’s about popularity, rarity, demand and condition of the record,” Melissa said. “Records are like books. They have a first pressing, second and multiple pressings. So if you get a first pressing, if the condition is beautiful, both the record and the cover, all of that adds to the value of the record.”

Meanwhile at Book Nook, Tyler and Alexa follow a similar set of rules when buying used vinyl from customers and setting the prices of records once they hit the floor.

“It’s a combination of popularity and condition,” Alexa said. “So if it’s a seriously popular record like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, let’s say it’s a little scratched, we would still take it, but we would price it at $2 maybe $3. Compare our prices to what you would buy it for online in mint condition and it would be significantly more expensive.”

But vinyl can age like fine wine, especially hand-me-downs.

Buying a used record “has a history to it. There’s a story to be told about how it’s been used, where there’s scratches or dinks. We appreciate the imperfections,” Tyler said.

So what really makes a great record? The best selling vinyl albums aren’t just regarded for their music. Rather, experts say the finest vinyl act as unique forms of art.

“It’s a total package,” Melissa said. “It starts with a great song. It starts with a great voice. It starts with great players, and great packaging.”

Others say the transient nature of a record, as a whole, makes it art — every time vinyl is placed on a turntable and used, it’s damaged slightly.

“The printed material on the inserts of records, not bound with the intention of being thrown away, is called ephemera. So all of the album artwork and lyric packets are ephemeral which the word itself means fleeting,” Alexa said. “So it’s that timelessness and special moment of appreciating the record now and then when it was made.”